Friday, July 31, 2009

I think my breakup scene was my favorite scene. I mean, hopefully it'll come off as having quite a few more levels than the relationship in 'Twilight'. It was interesting. It was like a five page long dialogue scene. That didn't happen at all in the first one and it's quite an interesting little moment. It completely bypasses all the supernatural elements of the story, as well, which I found quite interesting." Pattinson explained.

Vampire stories are almost always about dangerous love and forbidden lust, which is probably why every new generation of teenagers wants a taste.

Even before the hit movie “Twilight,” “True Blood” on HBO offered a Southern gothic version of the torment of suppressed desires. There are a slew of other iterations in books, movies and on television, including “The Vampire Diaries,” a CW series scheduled for the fall about a bloodsucking high school hottie who falls for a classmate and struggles to keep his fangs to himself.

The vampire story is as classic as the western, a genre whose pleasures, as the critic Robert Warshow once put it, lie in the minor variations. “Twilight” and “True Blood” and their many imitations offer similar celebrations of swoony love with a pallid stranger.

The tweak to “Twilight” is bourgeois respectability: the hero and his middle-class family in Forks, Wash., have forsaken their inhuman appetites and only occasionally feast on small animals — the vampire equivalent of turning vegetarian. In “True Blood” vampires who can safely feed on a synthetic blood are a militant minority demanding passage of a Vampire Rights Amendment.

“Being Human,” a new series on BBC America that begins on Saturday, offers the Dracula myth in a different chord: it’s structured less as a love story than as a buddy film.

Three young friends share a shabby apartment in Bristol, England, as well as secrets, and those sound like the set-up to a corny joke — a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf walk into a bar. Only in this case the bar is a pub and there is no punch line. “Being Human” takes the killing — and the perpetrators’ anguished remorse — seriously, but still manages to find the humor in their predicament as these monsters in human form struggle to blend into normal, almost Seinfeldian life that includes work, going out on dates and having the tedious neighbors over for drinks.

All three characters are highly appealing, but the charm of the show lies in the delicate balance of engrossing drama and disarming humor; the series is not campy or self-conscious, it’s witty in an offhand, understated way.

Annie (Lenora Crichlow), a ghost who is too timid and insecure to stray too far from the house, died in a freak accident before her wedding and is still obsessed with her ex, who has moved on to a trashy new girlfriend. George, played by Russell Tovey, who was so touching as the jug-eared jailor’s son in “Little Dorrit,” is a meek, awkward hospital porter who was savagely mauled on a camping trip in Scotland. He didn’t die, but once a month George transforms, unwillingly and with unspeakable pain, into a werewolf.

Mitchell (Aidan Turner), who works with George at the hospital, is the handsome, charming leader of the threesome with perhaps the toughest lot: Annie and George have no control over their conditions, whereas Mitchell can and does tame his cravings, up to a point, in an effort to align himself with the human race.

Vampires on “Being Human” have infiltrated every walk of society, even the police force, and, like the Mafia, they don’t tolerate defectors. Herrick, (Jason Watkins), a ruthless and manipulative vampire leader who is planning an uprising, keeps pulling Mitchell back to the side of the undead. So, more temptingly, does Lauren (Annabel Scholey), a sexy nurse who Mitchell drained on their first date and now keeps trying to drag Mitchell back off the wagon.

“You can have it again,” Lauren whispers seductively, urging him to join her in a fresh kill. Mitchell resists, saying “the cost is too high.” Lauren disagrees: “Please, you are saving, really. Have you seen ‘Britain’s Got Talent’?”

The three roommates struggle to keep their inner monsters in check, and their bond is tight because of it. People come in and out of lives and threaten their alliance, but friendship turns out to be thicker than blood. Mitchell, who has no trouble attracting women, encourages George to find a girlfriend, but he has too many self-doubts and moral qualms. When Mitchell asks, “Is that Jewish guilt, or werewolf guilt?” George glumly replies, “They’re pretty much the same thing.”

“True Blood” also puts vampires in a modern setting for comic effect, and it also showcases a romantic hero torn between human love and his inhuman cohorts, but the feel of the HBO show is quite different. It’s a romantic fantasy based on the vampire mystery novels by Charlaine Harris, and the television adaptation is steeped in Spanish moss and steamy Louisiana exoticism. The vampires, pale and lustful, are not much more creepy than the small-town cranks and misfits who gather at Merlotte’s, a dive bar in Bon Temps, La.

Oddly enough, “Being Human,” a series that posits ghosts, werewolves and vampires roaming through the pubs and supermarkets of Bristol, is more prosaic, but more compelling.

Directed by Toby Haynes; written by Toby Whithouse; Alex Pillai, Colin Teague and Rob Pursey, executive producers; Matthew Bouch, producer. Produced by Touchpaper Television and BBC America for the BBC.

I have to say that I personally think this is crap- In no way do I think that they were able to sign Bryce Howard- contracts and all in less than 8 days- at least that's what I've learned from watching Entourage ;)...plus, I don't believe that her agents/management would jepordize her career with a ten day scheduling conflict, she's been out there bust her ass doing Twilight/New Moon promos this bast year, and even just this past week...

We at Summit Entertainment are disappointed by Rachelle Lefevre’s recent comments which attempt to make her career choices the fault of the Studio. Her decision to discuss her version of the scheduling challenges publicly has forced the Studio to set the record straight and correct the facts.

Ms. Lefevre’s representatives were advised as early as April that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE was expected to start shooting in early August. If Ms. Lefevre was, as she describes “passionate,” about being part of THE TWILIGHT SAGA, we feel that she and her representatives would have included us in her decision to work on another film that would conflict with the shooting schedule of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. It was not until July 20th that Summit was first informed of Ms. Lefevre’s commitment to BARNEY’S VERSION, a commitment we have since been advised she accepted in early June. Summit had acted in good faith that she would be available to fulfill her obligations both in terms of rehearsals and shooting availability for THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. We feel that her choice to withhold her scheduling conflict information from us can be viewed as a lack of cooperative spirit which affected the entire production. Furthermore Ms. Lefevre took a role in the other film that places her in Europe during the required rehearsal time, and at least ten days of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE’s principal photography. This period is essential for both rehearsal time with the cast, and for filming at key locations that are only available during the initial part of production. Contrary to Ms. Lefevre’s statement, it is simply untrue that the Studio dismissed her over a ten day overlap. It is not about a ten day overlap, but instead about the fact that THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE is an ensemble production that has to accommodate the schedules of numerous actors while respecting the established creative vision of the filmmaker and most importantly the story. The fact remains that Ms. Lefevre’s commitment to the other project – which she chose to withhold from Summit until the last possible moment – makes her unfortunately unavailable to perform the role of Victoria in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE.

I had not visited the TwilightMoms forums in a while and thought I'd log in this morning to check things out. There's a huge BDB thread (with 7 parts and lots of pages) where they discuss spoilers and post pictures of the brothers. Fhun!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

“I was fully committed to the ‘Twilight’ saga, and to the portrayal of Victoria. I turned down several other film opportunities and, in accordance with my contractual rights, accepted only roles that would involve very short shooting schedules. My commitment to ‘Barney’s Version’ is only ten days. Summit picked up my option for ‘Eclipse.’ Although the production schedule for ‘Eclipse’ is over three months long, Summit said they had a conflict during those ten days and would not accommodate me. Given the length of filming for ‘Eclipse,’ never did I fathom I would lose the role over a 10 day overlap. I was happy with my contract with Summit and was fully prepared to continue to honor it. Summit chose simply to recast the part. I am greatly saddened that I will not get to complete my portrayal of Victoria for the ‘Twilight’ audience. This is a story, a theatrical journey and a character that I truly love and about which I am very passionate. I will be forever grateful to the fan support and loyalty I’ve received since being cast for this role, and I am hurt deeply by Summit’s surprising decision to move on without me. I wish the cast and crew of ‘Eclipse’ only the very best."

on an unrelated note.. How do you guys watch this show "so you think you can dance???" these judges make me want to kill myself and I've only watched one routine. Pretty sure I'm changing the channel, and STAT.

With actress Rachelle Lefevre being replaced in her role as Victoria for Eclipse, who else would you recast? Let's put together a whole new lineup for:

BellaEdwardJakeAliceJasperEmmettRoseCarlisleEsmeMikeJessicaAngelaEricTylerJames (even though I know he's not in future movies)LaurentVictoria (if you were to replace this Bryce chick)Volturi charactersAnyone else?

I tend to have a lot of actors in my mind based on SM's archives page for the movie, just because I read it way back when...

This would be so fun to go to in NYC!!! What do you think the TOP SECRET NEWS will be????

"Join New York Times best-selling author Cassandra Clare for TWO special announcements about her urban fantasy series, The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra will read and sign books and special guest Holly Black will emcee the event! Don’t miss the chance to get books signed and hear some top secret news from Cassandra herself!"

This is going to be a little different than other signing events. For one thing, the main focus of the event is the announcements of the top secret news (which yes will be made public after the event is over). There are also going to be giveaways — signed posters and and excerpts from The Clockwork Angel (you'll be able to choose between two different excerpts with different covers) and perhaps a sneak peek at Holly Black's new book The White Cat.

There is, if you want to attend, an RSVP email address:

rsvpcassandraclare@simonandschuster.comDate and Time:* Saturday, August 22* 12:00pm – 2:00pm* Bryant Park Reading Room, on the 42nd Street side of Bryant Park between 5th and 6th Ave.

Also- I found out the titles of the new books in the Infernal Devices Trilogy:Book One: The Clockwork Angel, Simon and Schuster, 2010Book Two: The Clockwork Prince, Simon and Schuster, 2011Book Three: The Clockwork Princess, Simon and Schuster, 2012

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I've been looking for something new to read for a while now. I went to Border's in search of something good and more, uhm, adult. In the last book I read (The Summoning, really good, btw) the main character gets her period in the beginning which only reminded me that I'm 32 and probably should read something other than YA occasionally.

Anyway.

I headed to the SciFi section. Every book that I had researched online seemed overly geeky and not sexy enough for my taste. The salesperson asked me if I needed some help. I told her I was looking for an adult version of Twilight. She pointed me to the Legend of the Seeker books. Not what I had in mind but how can I tell the Border's 20-year-old salesgirl that I was looking for something sexaaay?

Then I saw the Black Dagger Brotherhood books -- in the ROMANCE SECTION. After I rolled my eyes ten thousand times, I headed over there. After browsing a bit, I started to notice something... on the spine on some of the books it said Paranormal Romance. WHAT! They categorize this stuff? I love books! Err, librarians? Marketing? I love whoever decided to write the category of exactly what I wanted on the spine of books.

I could have spent two hours browsing but apparently Border's doesn't like people to stay past closing time.

Actress Rachelle Lefevre Will Be Replaced By Howard In The Role Of Victoria

Los Angeles – July 28, 2009 – Summit Entertainment announced today that Bryce Dallas Howard will take over the role of “Victoria” in the studio’s upcoming production of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE. Actress, Rachelle Lefevre, who portrayed the character in TWILIGHT as well as the upcoming release of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, will not continue in the role due to scheduling conflicts with another commitment the actor has made. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE will start filming in Vancouver this coming August.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, the third film in the studio’s TWILIGHT film franchise based on Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster book series, will be directed by David Slade from a screenplay written by Melissa Rosenberg. The film will be released theatrically in North America on Wednesday, June 30, 2010.

“We are incredibly happy that Bryce has agreed to come into the franchise,” said Erik Feig, Summit’s President of Worldwide Production and Acquisitions. “Rachelle brought “Victoria” to great screen life and Bryce will bring a new dimension to the character. The franchise is lucky to have such a talented actress as Bryce coming in to fill the role.”

Monday, July 27, 2009

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Kevin Smith is the director of many of my favorite movies, as I write this I realize I really need to watch Chasing Amy sometime soon, and this is his little rant on the recently viewed New Moon clips. WARNING- Adult Language.

Quote from Stephen Johnson's coverage for G4 @ comic Con:"The onscreen appearance of Edward (taking off his shirt, natch, destroys all decorum and civility in the room. It's roar of epic proportions to end the panel. The fans literally rush the stage... There is no riot, however. "

Monday, July 20, 2009

Sunday, July 19, 2009

There has been alot of Twilight conventions and tours this summer. I believe that last weekend MPLS hosted a TwiCon....no none of us SVCers went :(below is a pic of a souvenier, Jasper's War Papers, we could've picked up if we had.

"They had all kinds of other things too like Dr Cullen’s original medical license, the prom tickets Bella and Edward used, etc. OBVIOUSLY, they are not real, but it was super cool to look at." SOURCE

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

"The school’s principal was mobbed at a Seattle airport when a teenage fan spotted his Forks Spartan jacket and started yelling, “He’s from Forks, he’s from Forks!” The fervour is such, Cook says, that a local evangelist, Hallelujah Bill, has started preaching to fans about the dangers of becoming cult followers of the books."

Monday, July 13, 2009

This past weekend the Coven Leaders headed up north to Erin's Families cabin and it was a wonderful time had by all plus Edward. We were up to no good all weekend- diving, floating, drinking, singing, and bear hunting :)

Sunday, July 5, 2009

So, I've been meaning to post about this for a while, but keep forgetting. I found an all-Twilight fanfic site I really like, but it's not for everyone. It's www.twilighted.net. The reason it's not for everyone isn't due to the stories (which I think are pretty meticulously monitored and really, really good), but because of the ratings. A lot of them are NC-17. I do love the smut, and I'm out of Black Dagger Brotherhood books! :-/

I've been reading this one story, though, called "Innocent, Vigilant, Ordinary," and it's really intriguing, in my opinion (I'm about 20 chapters in - not done with it yet). It is also rated NC-17, but it seems as though that's not due to smut, but just underage drinking in one chapter. It's Twilight retold, but Bella meets Jake first, and they become involved before she meets Edward. Everything changes when the Cullens move to town. I like it because it stays true to the canon mostly, and is very much "Twilight"-ish, but unlike the numerous times I've re-read the actual book, this is something new.

Another possible caveat: you need to register to read most of the stories, including this one. The link is here, but you'll need to register/log in in order to read it. If you go to the Top Tens link once you're registered, I like most of the stories on the "Top Ten Favorites" link. Ah, Twilight + Smut = <3. This is probably what I'm reading when I'm supposed to be reading Harry Potter.